Visitors From the Outside World
by Jungle Spirit
Summary: {Tarzan story} More strangers encounter the African jungle. - "Do I...love him? I’ve only known him for a few days. Is that enough time to find love"
1. Part One

**Disclaimer:** The characters and relationships between the characters from the Tarzan books and the movies are copyright of Edgar Rice Burroughs and Disney. I only own any fanfiction characters.

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**Category:** Disney (Tarzan)  
**Genre:** Romance/Action/Adventure  
**Rating:** PG  
**Summary:** More strangers encounter the African jungle, but what do they want? One of the humans finds herself rather attracted to Tarzan, but how can she reveal her feelings when he has devoted his life to Jane?

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Visitors from the Outside World

**Part One**

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Jane Porter awoke early, to greet the pleasant first rays of sun that warmed her rosy cheeks. The humid air was tight around the jungle, but Jane was rather used to this, for she had been living in the jungle for almost a year, and she admitted to herself a hundred times a day that she could never be happier. She never wanted to be happier. She had everything she ever wanted.  
  
As she stood outside on the wooden support of her treehouse, she sighed in contentment, placing one elbow on the wooden rail, and cupping her cheek in her hand. Soft, gentle breezes of the premature dawn flowed through her light brown hair, tickling her neck lightly. Rising birdcalls could be heard springing from the canopies, and the balmy sunshine danced across her face. She loved the jungle. There was no doubt about that.  
  
But then, another thought crossed Jane's satisfied mind. A considerate, loving, sweet soul that filled Jane's heart with joy at the first sight of him. Always moving swiftly to some place or another, matted, dark brown dreadlocks hanging over his face, his shining blue eyes providing warmth and safety. Arched, gorilla-like postures were included in his glance and movement, as his knuckles and back were recounted as if he were one of them. His soft, gentle words gave Jane life, and his heart-warming smile, determined attitude and friendly nature made Jane proud to be who she was. She was proud to be married to him. To have come to the jungle, to meet him. To be finding herself in his soul, to have themselves coming together, to be one. Their hearts and hands combined, they would live prosperously forever in each other's eyes. His loving, sky- blue eyes entwined with her royal sapphire ones, mixing each other in their lives and their minds.  
  
Jane was so happy to have met him. Tarzan. The apeman.  
  
Jane thought about yesterday, what Tarzan had told her about. She couldn't help but wonder if they were really gone. She couldn't help but think that Tarzan hadn't driven them off after all. In a flush of memories and worried expressions, she considered the oncomings of the last few days.

It was amazing what only a few months removed from society could do to a person. Before coming to Africa's coast, Jane Porter would have sworn that she could not live without her corsets and gossip, or the occasional tea social held by the Manchester Ladies' Club. Having becoming familiar with the rain forest, however, she was learning the truth: that corsets were the work of the devil, that gossip was for air-headed socialites, and that tea socials were merely a breeding ground for women who enjoyed the former two.  
  
Not that she didn't enjoy tea. Truth be told, she and her father had both been pining for their noon teatimes under the balcony parasol, with the soft strains of Vivaldi playing on the Victrola from the adjoining parlour. The jungle had within it a wealth of plants and tropical fruits, all of which were a pleasure to their palate, but as yet she'd been unable to come up with a single mixture of dried flora that could replace good old English tea.  
  
How the Americans had gotten by without it for so long was utterly beyond her.  
  
Nevertheless, in between her long visits with Kala, and hours spent perched precariously in the treetops, sketching all the wondrous fauna of the jungle canopy, Jane had developed a new hobby and game for herself: Teahunting. It was ridiculous, really, and Tarzan simply could not understand his mate's fondness for picking and drying every new plant she came across on the jungle floor, but he had learned long ago not to question her. When Jane Porter got her mind set on something, there was no moving her. She was a force with which to be reckoned.  
  
It was for this determination that the unexpected arrival of new humans to their costal paradise had brought both fear and delight: fear that they, like those who had come before, would seek to destroy the happy harmony of the ecosystem... delight that perhaps they'd brought some tea with them.  
  
Tarzan promised to go look, and look he did, although his return to her in the middle of the night brought only grimness to his stern features, and freshly bloodied knuckles for her to fuss over anxiously.  
  
"I take it you weren't well received," she sighed, sorting through their limited first aid supplies in search of bandages. He waited patiently in a crouch at her feet, flexing his hands open and closed in the oil-lamp dimness of the treehouse.  
  
"It could have gone better," was his reply, impassive as she dabbed alcohol delicately across his knuckles. "They came with cages, and guns--"  
  
"Guns... like Clayton?"  
  
A nod. "Poachers."  
  
"Good heavens," Jane sighed, pinning a strip of gauze in place and beginning to wrap one of his broad hands, focusing upon it as if it were the only task for which she had been created. "And may I assume that you didn't hurt yourself in your eagerness to give them a warm welcome?"  
  
A glance up brought into focus his intense eyes, stopping the breath in her throat as she watched his thin lips curl up into a shrewd smile. Sighing softly, feeling pride tug at her heart, she folded over the gauze and went to work on his other hand.  
  
"Yes, well... that answers _that_ question, doesn't it."  
  
She did not ask--and in truth, did not want to know--what he had done to drive them off, but Tarzan assured her that they would not be returning anytime soon. Contenting herself with this, she had returned to her vigorous teahunting duties the next morning, scouring the undergrowth of the jungle floor while her mate went off on his daily rounds, assuring himself that his wild sovereignty was once again at peace.  
  
It was during her expedition that she heard the familiar whoosh of his passage overhead, and felt the jungle floor darken as his swinging form momentarily eclipsed the thin shower of light from above.  
  
"There's no sneaking up on me, you know," she called up, adjusting her basket over one arm and bending carefully to retrieve a handful of wild lilac from amidst the clover at her feet. Descending in a controlled slide down the length of a vine, he dropped to a crouch beside her and rocked back onto his haunches. There was simply no getting past the perfection of the man's physique, Jane mused, immediately distracted from her thoughts as she slid her eyes over the toned length of his body. From broad shoulders to solid torso, down to an almost delicately narrow waist and the powerful, coiled muscle of his legs... if not for his still determinedly primitive posture, he would have been the very definition of the word 'statuesque'.  
  
"I wasn't trying to sneak up on you," Tarzan reminded her, reaching out to pluck the lilacs playfully from her hand, then galloping away from her on soles and knuckles. "Or you never would have heard me coming."  
  
"Is that so," she smirked, planting a hand at her hip and turning swiftly, making a grab for the loose bouquet. It was no use, of course--he sprang with unmatched ease from the earth to the lichened surface of a tree trunk, then to the opposite side of the underbrush, using it as a safe barrier between them. Her laughter struck with a bell's sweet clarity as she stamped a bare foot indignantly in place. "Now give them back!"  
  
Extending a forearm towards her, he held her at bay with the press of his fingertips to her collarbone, making a gloating show of lifting the dark violet petals to his face and deeply, almost exaggeratedly inhaling, sniffing playfully. "_Ahhh_...."  
  
"_Tarzan_," she protested, the remnants of mock anger dissolving beneath amusement as he held her so easily at arm's length. "For heaven's sake, I'd very much like to finish this so that I can get back before dark."  
  
With a slightly fainter grin the pilfered flowers were offered out to her, and she snatched them away in both hands, tucking them securely into her basket. "Thank you... and _just_ for that I'm going to make you carry me home." Jane arched a glance up at him, widening her eyes at the brand new expression upon his face: deep brows furrowed with dismay, prominent nostrils visibly flared, and a small, open frown developing upon his lips. He had only the barest recollection of his human nature, but it appeared that even that did not alter the universal face of a man about to sneeze.  
  
"Serves you right," was all she had to say.  
  
The expression culminated into an open grimace, and he broke the quiet with a sudden, thunderous, "HEEIISSSHH!"  
  
Even having expected her mate to have an impressive sneeze, Jane blinked in alarm, fussing a hand along her skirts in search of a handkerchief... only to recall that they were all back in England, with the tea socials and the corsets. Blast it all.  
  
"Oh dear--God bless you, Tarzan."  
  
Irritatedly knuckling his nose, clearing the underbrush with a single, muscular leap, he landed before her and squinted one eye. "What?"  
  
"God bless you." Seeing only that earnest, unblinking curiosity upon his face, the woman sighed, "When someone sneezes--as you just did a moment ago--you say 'God bless you'."  
  
Tarzan, having been under the mistaken impression that sneezing was better left ignored and unacknowledged, took her word for it, wrapping a sinewed arm abruptly about her waist. She was swept off her feet--quite literally--and suddenly spirited into the air as he leapt ambitiously for a dangling vine.  
  
Jane cried out in alarm, hanging onto his neck fiercely as he swung them hard towards the tree's massive trunk, then sprang away again with a powerful push of both feet. "A little warning would be appreciated next time, my love."  
  
He grinned at her, unashamed, and the swift momentum as they gathered speed through the vines whipped the thick dreadlocks from his brow. Backed by the verdant blur of the living jungle, Tarzan inquired of her plainly, "Why did you say 'God bless you', when I... what was it?"  
  
"When you sneezed?"  
  
"Yes--" He released one vine, trading it for another in a plunging, single-handed grab, and Jane screamed aloud at their momentary suspension in mid-air. Sometimes she swore he did that on purpose.  
  
Lifting her head from where she'd been hiding it against his shoulder, she explained, "It's simply the polite thing to do." Tarzan's eyes switched back and forth between her and the course ahead of them, and for fear of having him run them smack into a tree she clutched to him more tightly. "Listen, just keep your eyes focused ahead of us, and I'll explain."  
  
Obliging her with a grin, he swung them to a tree branch, adjusting her weight against him before making a diving leap for another vine. Jane's alarmed voice rose to match their velocity through the perilous highway he'd created for himself among the trees.  
  
"So explain," he encouraged.  
  
"Well it... it's just something that you say. There's no real logic behind, I suppose. You simply say it to let the person know that you wish them well, and that you--Branch! _Branch_!"  
  
They were airborne for a split second as he released the vine and captured the branch in a muscular hand, swinging in suspense above the endless drop below. He looked at her with a grin as they hung there.  
  
"I saw it."  
  
Slowly relaxing her eyes from their terrified squint, she twittered in nervous apology.  
  
"Ah...haha... so you did."  
  
"Go on."  
  
"Shouldn't we be movin--_aughgh_!"  
  
He released the bough and they plunged violently down through the lower canopy, leaves and bare branches whisking against them as they dropped. Jane's stomach leapt revoltingly into her throat as her companion captured a vine in passing, soaring them upward once more, and now into view of his parents' tree house. Their tree house. Weakly, curling herself against him for dear life, she appealed, "Please don't do that again."  
  
With teeth whitely shining against the rich tan of his face, he defended, "It was a shortcut."  
  
Tarzan propelled them a final time through the sparse boughs fringing the tree house, taking three vines consecutively before a deep swing launched him into a catlike leap towards the bamboo porch. He took the sudden landing in a cushioning crouch, the thunder of impact like a hard tremor through every tense muscle of his body. Straightening slowly, releasing his arm from around Jane's waist, he advised her gently, "...You can open your eyes now."  
  
She did--one at a time--and breathed another fluttery sigh of relief at their return to the safety of shelter and relatively solid ground.  
  
"Ahaha! Yes... so I can. How about that."  
  
The apeman continued to watch her, drawing himself to his full height with an air of light amusement. Single-minded as they came, he inquired, "So you'll say it to me every time?"  
  
Jane's eyes, blue and bright as the fragments of sky revealed through the broken canopy, rested upon him in unhidden confusion. One hand crawled over the contents of her basket, making certain that most of her afternoon's inventory had been retained inside. "What's that? I'll say what?"  
  
"Bless you?"  
  
"Oh!" In all their heart-pounding, death-defying, jungle-traversing madness, she had completely forgotten. "Why, of course, Tarzan..." Her small hand cradled his tapered chin fondly as she moved past him, into the dim seclusion of the tree house's crudely furnished interior. "I couldn't very well overlook such a thing, could I?"  
  
She was not expecting, as she tossed her basket lightly onto the table, a replay of that most satisfying sound from beyond the open doorway.  
  
"HEEEIISSSH!"  
  
She might have mistaken it for some other jungle sound if not for its perfect distinction, and Jane's head poked back into view, fingers curled around the knotty doorframe as she squinted outside. Sure enough, Tarzan was lowered into his typical, primitive crouch, head bowed down so that the length of his dreadlocks were thrown forward, concealing his face. A sinewed hand vanished from sight as he knuckled his nose in the aftermath.  
  
"Well," she chirped, inexplicably amused by his timing. Emerging to rest one hand smartly upon her skirted hip, Jane responded, "God bless you."  
  
Looking over, catching a glance up at her from between the centre part of his hair, he gave his head a toss back and gracefully stood. The image of him striding towards her--shoulders thrown back, blue-green eyes lurking up under that powerful brow--reminded her too keenly of a lion setting out to hunt, and Jane, in spite of his gentle nature with her, found herself self-consciously backing up. The solid wood of the threshold met her back, and she leaned into it, eyes following his face until he was close--inches close-- and gazing calmly at her down the length of his aquiline nose. His nostrils became prominent with a split-second sniff.  
  
"What should Tarzan say in return?" he asked.  
  
"Uhr, ah... in return? Well, ah... that is..." Jane Porter was a certified scholar and primatologist; how on earth, she wondered, did this man consistently reduce her to girlish stammering? "I believe 'thank you' is usually the expected response."  
  
"Thank you?" he repeated uneasily, and what Jane first mistook for dawning disbelief she quickly recognized as the approach of another sneeze. Instinctively she held her hands up between them, uncertain if he knew enough to turn away from her when it came over him. His broad chest began to rise and fall, and she squinted slightly, leaning back against the door as his eyes helplessly closed into that dreading grimace.  
  
"Um, Tarzan, you might want to--"  
  
"HEIISSSH!" he sneezed, suddenly and violently, and although the sheer force of it staggered him back, Jane still felt the most delicate aerosol fall against her upraised hands. Tarzan immediately went at his nose again, rubbing it abusively with the knob of one wrist, eyes shut into a scowl.  
  
With a sigh Jane wiped her hands lightly down against her skirts, finding the fine moisture already evaporated into the humid air.  
  
"My goodness--bless you again."  
  
"Thank you," he muttered, visibly distracted by the effort of trying to itch at his nose. Jane watched him for a moment before reaching for his wrist, trying to hold it at bay. "Stop that a moment, now... the lilacs didn't bother you that much, did they?"  
  
He blinked and squinted at her, sniffling lopsidedly without the ability to rub at his nose.  
  
"No... I've just been..." a pause, as he reached for the word.  
  
"Sneezing?" she supplied helpfully.  
  
"Yes. Sneezing, all day."  
  
"All day? Good heavens, Tarzan--since this _morning_?"  
  
"Yes, since you... since you..." Here it came again, creeping over him. He looked weak and hopeful at the same time, uttering a softly mounting, "_aehhh_..." in preparation. His fingers curled up slightly as he arched his hands into view, nostrils tremendously flared.  
  
She sprang back from him this time, well out of range, and watched between squinted lids as the sneeze mounted... and mounted... and gripped him suddenly with a gasp and a grimace.  
  
"Heh'_EISSSH_!"  
  
The sneeze stumbled him forward, and Jane yelped as he staggered closed the distance between them, pinning her against the door with the bare length of his body. His eyes reopened, close above her, and she saw his nostrils flare again with a quick sniff.  
  
"Oh," she chirped, and nervously flashed a smile. "...God bless you."  
  
He answered blearily, "Thank you." _Sniff_. "Jane..."  
  
"Tarzan..."  
  
"...I think something's wrong with me."  
  
"Well, I... I would say so, if this has been going on all afternoon." Licking her lips, her hands closed at the warmth of his bare shoulders, gently easing him back--not that his closeness wasn't exciting, in its own way. "Let's... think about this rationally for a moment, shall we? This isn't precisely the environment for pollen-bearing plants, though I've seen one or two, so I don't imagine it's an allergy..."  
  
"An allergy?" he backed away a step or two, and continued rubbing his nostrils with the side of a fist, answering some urgent irritation somewhere within his long, narrow nose.  
  
"Yes, it's a... well, never mind, I'll explain it some other time. The only other answer, my dear, is--" Jane hesitated, seeing his nostrils flare again as a twitch slowly overtook his expression. Just as Tarzan's eyes shut in that visibly sneezy grimace she reached out, nestling her slender forefinger beneath his nostrils. They were wonderfully fleshy and warm, and to her surprise her touch actually worked; he relaxed into a blinking look of surprise. "There we are," she smiled, lowering her hand again slowly, watching as he irritably wrinkled and relaxed the bridge of his nose. "Now, as I was saying... the only other answer is that you must have caught cold... though I can't imagine how."  
  
"A cold?"  
  
"Mmm," she agreed, and with a backward brush of her fingertips combed a thick dreadlock behind his ear. "It's a respiratory infection... it might explain why you're sneezing so much."  
  
"I don't understand." His broad hands wrapped about the small of her back, pulling her against him. "I've been cold before, but this has never happened."  
  
Flustered by the sudden closeness of him, cheeks high with a schoolgirl blush, she danced her hands lightly across his chest and shoulders, uncertain just where to place them. He simply had no concept of personal space.  
  
"Ah...n-no, I don't imagine it would have happened before, you see... you don't just '_get_' a cold, you have to catch it, somehow. Usually from someone else. Except the only other humans here are my father and myself, and neither of us..." She stopped, staring over his shoulder, then snapped her gaze abruptly back to his face, dimpling her bottom lip with a delicate overbite. "Oh dear, I just thought of something. Tarzan... those poachers that arrived by boat--"  
  
"Tarzan drove them off," he interrupted boastfully, and she felt one of his arms tense, as with the desire to pound a fist against his chest.  
  
"Yes, yes, I know," Jane dismissed gently, unable to help a slight, flashing smile. "But how close to them were you, before they left..."  
  
The question seemed a strange one, to Tarzan. His was a world of constant sensorial enlightenment, from the smell of the earth, to the taste of the air, and he'd never had need before to watch out for things as inconvenient or unknown to him as germs. If there were dangers in the world, they could always be detected in some way, right?  
  
Jane surmised, from his wary silence, that the answer to her question was 'close enough', and exasperatedly folded her arms. "You must have caught a cold from them, then. It's hardly any wonder, really... you've never been exposed to anything from the outside world, you have no immunity, you... you..." She trailed off, frowning at him as he opened his mouth, as if in preparation to speak. When his eyes began to close, realization dawned on her. "Oh dear--you're about to sneeze--"  
  
There was no room for her to dodge out of the way, and so she curled herself abruptly against him, feeling the dramatic expansion of his chest as he drew a sudden breath. Instead of releasing one of his trademark bellows, he embraced her with the tension of his arms, issuing over her shoulder a thunderous and plainly unprepared, "Heh'_RRSSHH_!"  
  
"God bless y--"  
  
"Heh'_RRSSHH_!", again.  
  
"Heavens, God bless--"  
  
"Heh'**_RRSSHH_**!" a third time, releasing another burst of little particles into the air, a thousand translucent pinpoints that caught the light and vanished.  
  
Slowly his arms relaxed, the fit apparently passed, and Jane parted from him, holding his face between her hands as she bit again at her bottom lip.  
  
"Well... Bless you again, my dear."  
  
"Thank you," he sighed, visibly drained by the rather strenuous effort of sneezing. His nose, thoroughly unprepared for this level of irritation, appeared to be staging a revolt; as satisfying as each release was, it was at the expense of his flagging strength. "Jane, I think I--"  
  
She interrupted quickly, attaching herself to his arm, "Should lie down now? I completely agree. Let's get you into bed, and we'll decide what to do with you from there."  
  
At once the man found himself being guided--no, herded into the tree house cabin, Jane's busy hands flattening open at his bare back as she maneuvered him through the narrow door, and then in a beeline towards their mosquito-netted berth. It had taken a lot of coaxing to acclimate him to the comfort of a bed over sleeping in a gorilla nest, and although Jane suspected he still secretly preferred the cool bedding of palm leaves and ferns, he slipped beneath the gauze canopy without a single sound of protest, unfolding himself like a great golden cat upon the mattress.  
  
Parting the curtain with her fingers, she settled quietly at its edge.  
  
"I don't know the first thing about playing nursemaid without the amenities of home," Jane fretted suddenly. "I can't even make _tea_, for heaven's sake. How am I supposed to take proper care of you? "  
  
"Jane will learn," Tarzan said calmly, and as he reclined, his long, thick-knuckled fingers laced together across the solid muscle of his stomach. He sniffed again, nostrils flaring into delectable prominence for just a split second.  
  
"I suppose she will," she muttered, cupping her elbow in one hand and resting her cheek in her palm, eyeing him as he formed a musing little smile. Grumpy, Jane reminded him, "You don't have to look so bloody _pleased_, you know. You're the one that's supposed to be miserable here, not me."  
  
"Then Tarzan will learn, too," came the reply, and he sat up--sat towards her--with that raptorish gleam to his eyes. His mouth neared, head tilting to kiss her, but the two fingertips she laid to his lips quickly halted that notion, and brought to his face an expression of dismayed surprise.  
  
Jane smirked, "Yes... Tarzan _will_ learn. Rule number one--no kissing. My immunity is far stronger than your own, and the chances are fairly small that I could even catch this from you, but small chances are still chances, and I'm not willing to take any."  
  
He sniffed, crossing his eyes downward to focus upon her admonishing fingers.  
  
"No kissing?"  
  
"Not a one, I'm afraid. Not until you're better."  
  
"Then I _am_ going to be miserable."  
  
"My dear," Jane sighed, once again supporting her cheek in her hand. "I don't think you have _any_ idea."  
  
She had left the oil lamp by the beside, and through the little glass panes the wick shed golden rays impressively outward. The mosquito netting was drawn closed over the bed, but from her station at the writing desk Jane could still see the silhouette of Tarzan's long body stretched upon the mattress, one knee bent up and his hands laced behind his head. Her pen scratched busily at the blank diary page before her, the writing becoming horribly crooked each she heard him sniffle and was forced to look over in interest. A half-hour of journaling had produced little more than two paragraphs of text, and most of it was a mess of jagged lines and overlapping cursive.  
  
"You're not sleeping," she commented, the cricketing beyond the tree house cabin having grown louder with the onset of night. It nagged at her to have the windows open when he lay with a cold, but the air was so awfully hot and humid, it would have suffocated them both any other way. He was far from freezing to death, even in that modest little shred of a loincloth, but it was hard-wired into her that anyone even the least bit sniffly needed to be kept bundled up and warm.


	2. Part Two

**Disclaimer:** The characters and relationships between the characters from the Tarzan books and the movies are copyright of Edgar Rice Burroughs and Disney. I only own any fanfiction characters.

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**Category:** Disney (Tarzan)  
**Genre:** Romance/Action/Adventure  
**Rating:** PG  
**Summary:** More strangers encounter the African jungle, but what do they want? One of the humans finds herself rather attracted to Tarzan, but how can she remove Jane from the picture so she can be with him?

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**Part Two**

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Jane sighed slowly as she recalled on this story. She had remembered exactly what had been spoken, what had been counted on. She knew that Tarzan had caught his first cold that week. And she could also remember that he wasn't incredibly impressed about it. The fact that he had to stay in bed for so long bored him; he needed to be free, whistling through the trees at top speed, catching the breeze, feeling the liana gripped tightly between his strong, knuckled hands. Jane understood that he was naturally curious, and also rather impatient and restless. He could never really stand in one place too long unless he could help it. Tarzan _hated_ having a cold.  
  
From her earlier position, Jane switched her hands that her cheek was resting in, as she stared out over the sunrise.

_It's so beautiful here,_ she realised. _I can just come to terms why that Tarzan was so resolute to getting out of bed. He's not accustomed to staying inside._  
  
A short, tantalising breeze blew softly through the trees and past Jane's hot cheeks. She sighed again, suddenly feeling on top of the world. She felt as if nothing could break her down. She was so high up...she was flying, soaring through the vines and plunging through the canopies, arms outstretched...catching the breeze...  
  
"Oh!" a sharp gasp of a cry escaped Jane's lips as she felt something grab her by the waist. She blinked a few times in surprise, her blue eyes dazed at being able to be reachable from so high up inside. She jumpily gazed down at what was holding her, but as soon as she recognised what she had become prisoner to, she giggled in relief. Holding her gently around her waist were two, strong hands, tanned from the jungle heat and knuckles bent in gorilla form.  
  
"Sorry," Tarzan smirked as he smiled from behind his wife. "Did I scare you?"  
  
At the sound of his deep, soothing voice in her ear, Jane felt her cheeks burn as they always found a way to whenever Tarzan was near. "Quite," she barely whispered, caressing her hands over his grip.  
  
"Guess what, Jane?" Tarzan asked playfully, realising her discomfort and placing his calming hands around her arms instead. "I'm not sick anymore."  
  
Jane spun around, her pretty features brightening at his words. "Oh, Tarzan, dear," she smiled. "That's wonderful." She glanced around unnoticeably with her eyes, not really precise on the best place to focus. "I suppose that means that you'll be back to parading around the jungle again?" she questioned, her tone a little hopeful. She really didn't like the idea of holding him back from something she knew he loved.  
  
Tarzan's face lit up with a pleasant smile. "I hope so," he responded, gazing lovingly into her eyes. "But I'm glad I can do something else too."  
  
Bending down to her rosy cheek, he placed his lips against her soft skin in a warm kiss. Jane giggled again, this time because she had been waiting for this moment for eight days. Tarzan had been forbidden to kiss her due to his condition. Jane was defiant not to let him pass the cold onto her, no matter how more immune she was.  
  
Jane finally locked her focus onto Tarzan's sky eyes, cheeks pink from embarrassment. "Yes, well..." she murmured softly. "I'm glad too." The warmth of his hands around her arms forced her to perform an endearing smile, one that she couldn't wipe away, no matter which way she paid attention to.  
  
Tarzan suddenly took her by shock, as his handsome face suddenly changed into a smiling, determined frown. To Jane's surprise, he placed both hands under her green dress and scooped her into his arms. "_Oh_! Oh." Jane managed to utter, as she placed both hands around Tarzan's neck, looking worriedly into his face. "I say, Tarzan," she laughed gently. "I never realised you'd be _this_ ecstatic."  
  
With an innocent smirk, Tarzan ran across the wooden platform of the treehouse, jumping onto the rail before using his leg power to leap off into the air!  
  
"_Waah-urrgh-argh_!" Jane squealed as they plummeted towards green blurs and brown smudges, the scenery dissolving as the air whipped her face. She really couldn't understand why Tarzan kept giving her these surprise experiences. Perhaps he was attempting for her to become used to them.  
  
She felt the movement become more stable as she felt herself gliding, not falling. Opening her eyes one at a time, she saw that Tarzan had managed to cling onto a passing vine, and had begun to drift easily through the trees. She sighed in relief, but then thought hard. Why had she waited eight days for this to occur?!

"Oh," she managed to whisper. "Phew."  
  
Glancing upwards at the apeman, she managed to tap him on the arm lightly, still resting in his safe grip as his arms supported her shoulders. Confused, Tarzan gazed down at her, his head tilted to one side in question.  
  
"Erm...Tarzan? Can we just...stop for a _teeny_ second, please?" Jane managed to gasp out, the pounding of her heart finally kicking in.  
  
A slight squint coming to his face, Tarzan reached up, still holding Jane safely, and placing the soles of his feet to the creeper, he projectiled both of them through the air once more. A scream lodged itself in Jane's throat, but she couldn't remove it, due to the sudden force of landing that sent waves through her young body.  
  
"Oh...oh." She uttered again, as she felt gentle hands place her back onto a strong bough. She gazed around at her surroundings. She was being held in a stable tree, with canopies that hung all around the trapes. She let all her breath out, and then fussily began to straighten out her dislodged hair.  
  
Tarzan suddenly leapt in front of her on hands and feet, moving closer towards her, his blue eyes searching her face for answers. "Why did we stop?" he eventually asked, pulling himself into an easy crouch, his puzzled face mixed up with a mild frown.  
  
"Oh. Of course." Jane rested herself onto her knees, smiling sweetly. "The journey was just...a little too...oh, what's the word - ? Erm..._exhilarating_ for me," she admitted, twiddling her slender fingers in discomfort.  
  
Tarzan's face gained more uncertainty as his eyes glanced sideways, unsure of what to say next. "Ex-hil-ar-at-ing," he attempted, sounding out the word in simple syllables.  
  
Jane let out a lone giggle but quickly smothered it with the palm of her hand. "Erm...exhilarating. It means...thrilling. Too much procedure. I...was getting rather.."  
  
"Frightened?" Tarzan finished, at once looking and sounding rather guilty.  
  
"Well, not so much _frightened_, as it happens," Jane began, trying to cheer up his solemn expression. "More or less...well...shall we say- _exciting_. It was a little too much for me, to be honest."  
  
Tarzan at once raised his eyebrows from their past position, coming to the conclusion. "Oh," he nodded, before then letting his brows fall into a very blameworthy way, glancing downwards at the branch soulfully. "I'm sorry." His voice sounded very subdued, as if he actually knew that this would lead to dismay.  
  
Jane's face fell as she saw how miserable Tarzan looked. Her eyebrows quickly narrowed in concern as her voice expressed deep pity. "Oh, no-no," she broke in comfortingly, edging over toward him on hands and knees, placing her soft hand against his cheek. "I never meant it like that."  
  
Tarzan glanced upwards into his wife's eyes. They shone with a brilliant blue, swallowing the ocean inside them. He blinked quickly, seeing them smile kindly back at him, full of meaning. He ran his eyes over her smiling, rosy face, her perfect features, her warm, light brown hair, her sweet smile. She's so beautiful. He thought to himself. I'm lucky to be here right now. I don't want to be anywhere else. Tarzan could never forget that she was always kind, talented and trusting. He had always told himself that sometimes many may appear beautiful, but it is not on looks on which a person is counted for. Still, there was no doubt that Jane managed to obtain both reasons on the matter.  
  
The words slipped out on the humid breeze. "I love you," Tarzan murmured, his deep voice floating through the wind. His expression never changed.  
  
Jane blinked, aghast, wondering what in heavens name that that had to do with the conversation. But as she pondered over the words, she felt her heart beating softly with consideration, her cheeks burning with awkwardness. It really was very sweet, thinking of after all of this; he still managed to get into her good books. He would always do or say something thoughtful. She smiled tenderly at him, enjoying the rich tone of his words, the way he said them. She suddenly felt special.  
  
"Yes," she sighed out, seeing his expression brighten slightly into a charming smile. "I love you too."  
  
At this, Tarzan placed his own, strong but gentle hand over the position of where Jane's was placed against his cheek, a real, meaningful smile breaking over his features. He carefully raised it from his brown skin, and then lovingly brought his wife into a redeeming embrace. It was here in each other's arms where they knew they really belonged. Both in each other's eyes. Both in each other's hearts.

Two worlds combined.

  
-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Finally giving in to the task of letting Jane emerge from the height of the tree limbs, Tarzan began to make his way back through the jungle again with his wife at his side. He had noticed, very much so in fact, that the jungle seemed to be all _too_ quiet.  
  
He frowned as he glanced around, his nostrils flaring, detecting any sign of scent as to what was going on. In the meantime, Jane had started up a conversation of her own.  
  
"Tarzan? Do you recall those poachers that arrived not so long ago?"  
  
He gazed up at her, bracing himself from his accustomed primate pose and standing upright beside her. "Yes. Why?"  
  
"Well, I was just...oh, this sounds so silly-erm...do you think that they...well...were driven off completely?"  
  
Tarzan frowned a little in confusion. "I don't know what you mean," he finally confessed, cocking his head to an angle for an explanation.  
  
"Well," Jane began again, straightening out her dress, biding time for a reasonable reply. "What I mean to say, is it seems rather extraordinary that they didn't return for a succeeding attempt. They just...vanished. They haven't revisited in over a week. What if they had come here for a reason? Don't you think it's a little odd?"  
  
Tarzan thought about this, his pondering expression full of puzzlement. "Well," he started. "I guess it _is_ a little strange. They looked like they really wanted something," he trailed, starting to sound a trifle suspicious.  
  
"What?" Jane thought aloud, placing a forefinger to her cheek. "What could they possibly want?"  
  
But at that moment, a large horn blew. A _ship's_ horn. Jane looked up immediately, and Tarzan at once placed his hands onto her shoulders supportively, glowering in bewilderment.  
  
"Good heavens!" Jane exclaimed, biting her lip with worry. "That sounded like a boat docking! But...at _this_ hour? I sincerely doubt that Monsieur Dumont is here. I recall him saying he went away on business."  
  
Tarzan squinted up at the sun in wonder, checking the movement of the clouds, the shade of the sky, the direction in which shadows cast. "It's too early," he managed to inform, his blue eyes scanning the area. "Boats never come this early."  
  
"Then...what is one doing here?" Jane asked, her tone shaking with her every nerve, her hands wringing in anxiety.  
  
"I'm not sure," Tarzan replied, squeezing her shoulders for comfort. "But I'm going to find out." He turned to face Jane again, his face full of warmth. "Wait here," He instructed gently.  
  
But at once, Jane's eyes widened in disbelief. "No," she refused in a horrified whisper. "Please...I want to go."  
  
But Tarzan shook his head slowly, placing a warm hand to her cheek for security. "Wait here," he murmured again, his sky eyes shining into hers.  
  
Jane sighed reluctantly, but her expression still seemed rather longing. "Very well," she uttered, her voice sloped with worry. "Go."  
  
Tarzan kissed her gently on the forehead before gazing back at her again. "I'll be right back," he told her, and then quickly removed his hands from her and began to dash away with great speed and agility, vanishing into the green depths.  
  
Jane hugged herself nervously, biting her lip with dread. "Please be careful," she whispered to herself, beginning to feel the worst already before it had even happened. "Please."

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

The boat docked sharply, causing it to make a gentle, knocking sound against the walkway. The horn blew once again, as a make way for departure to the passengers on board.  
  
Heavy footsteps were heard coming through the railing walk, until the door to the surrounding pathway of the boat opened sharply, and a figure stepped out. He glanced around uncertainly, his strict, firm features tightened in a look of disgust as he took in the jungle view. He ran a hand over his short black hair and sneered, his brown eyes taking in every tree, every green canopy, every screeching parrot.  
  
"Ghastly," he muttered to himself, straightening out his two-piece suit with loathing. "Positively _repulsing_."  
  
Just then, more footsteps neared as another figure opened the door and stood behind the man. This time it was a young woman, wearing a long, lilac dress, a suitable fashion for dignified Victorian ladies. Her chestnut hair was looped and wavy, locks flowing down over her shoulders. Her light blue boots tapped incredulously as she heard the last comments repeated that she managed to catch.  
  
"Repulsing?" she questioned rather shrilly, her pretty face shining with the sights. "_Really_, Father. I find it all so..._fascinating_." Her sea green eyes shone with delight as she gazed with wonder at the smooth green canopies, the noises and the beauty that fell before her. "It's magnificent," she breathed, sighing slowly.  
  
The man gave his daughter a stern look. "Indeed," he replied sourly. "I'm thrilled that someone here finds this Neanderthal habitat incredible, Olivia."  
  
Olivia sighed again, but this time there was a slight hint of sadness hidden in. "You don't understand things the way I do," she whispered, the soft wind bustling through her attractive curls. "No one does."  
  
Another man from the front of the boat was helping to unload the supplies for camp. "All clear down 'ere, Mr Greenway!" he shouted up to him. "Where should I put this 'ere book?" he held up a pressing book high above his head in both hands.  
  
At once, Olivia's eyes grew wide with horror. "Oh-oh-_wait_!" she flustered, quickly clomping down the gangway in her boots and heading towards the man. "Terribly sorry, Cornelius," she informed desperately. "But that's _my_ property."  
  
"Right then, Miss!" Cornelius replied, handing her the book with a puzzled look. Then he whispered to her: "Better not lose it, looks like it's valuable to yer."  
  
Olivia stared at the book sadly, feeling a wave of depression weave over her. "Yes," She whispered unhappily. "It is."

The book was in fact a flower-pressing portfolio. The young girl loved wildflowers, and collected many kinds of domestic and tropical plants whenever she could-whether it was taking an outing in the woods or coming on an expedition with her father, Lord Sigmund Greenway. Olivia knew that she was needed for her father's certain kind of authority, but she could get the feeling that she wasn't wanted.  
  
"My mother used to help me with it," she told Cornelius with a weak smile. "She assisted me with it whenever she...she could." She felt warm tears beginning to creep into her eyes, so she turned her head slightly to hide them.  
  
Cornelius nodded understandably. "She was a good miss, Lady Catherine," She told her supportively. "A good miss." He then got back to moving some of the bigger boxes and crates with the help of some other men who began to emerge from the boat.  
  
Sighing depressively, wiping salty tears from her cheeks, Olivia placed the portfolio inside her clothes chest, shutting the lid tightly with a pleasant click. She clasped her hands together tightly, the soft, humid jungle breeze swaying through her hair like some sort of dance. Olivia could remember her mother, Lady Catherine Greenway. She was always there for her, helping her with her flower pressing or perhaps reading together; Olivia was extremely fond of Jane Austen novels.  
  
But when she died of pneumonia, it was hard to believe that she didn't feel an orphan. Her father, she remembered, never seemed to care for her that much. He always called her a "bothersome delinquent", and never asked her what she felt, unlike her mother. There were times when Olivia thought that her father didn't love her at all. She was just discarded when she wasn't out of the way. _Maybe he used Mummy to push me aside,_ thought Olivia bitterly_. And now she's gone then he just pretends that I don't exist. My feelings and needs aren't important to him._  
  
Olivia could remember how that, being an only child, her mother was always occupied with her, telling her fascinating facts about nature and love. Olivia loved to her the sound of her sweet, mellow voice, and how Lady Catherine used to call her "dewdrop". A special nickname that she reserved just for her little princess.  
  
Olivia thoughtfully tucked a curl of her reddish-brown hair behind her ear, observing the bustle of the box lifting and the crate carrying. _I'm not wanted here,_ she wondered to herself dejectedly. _I'm not wanted anywhere. No one needs me for anything. _

Whirling around, her sea green eyes fell on the lush atmosphere, the calling birds, the thick, hollow trees, the swaying vines and the jungle air.  
  
_No one would really mind if I just explored it for a little while by myself,_ she thought mischievously. _I shan't venture off very far, and if anyone asks where I went, I'll just tell them that I went flower hunting._ This seemed rather a grand idea, so, being careful not to be seen by anyone, she crept silently away, into the lush shrubbery.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Tarzan, meanwhile, had managed to make his way down to the boarding docks. Sniffing slightly, trying to catch the scent of anything suspicious, his eyes buried under a deep frown, he pushed past through damp leaves as he heard shouts and hushed talking coming from the docking boat. Carefully, he remained in the shadows and began to eavesdrop on their conversations.  
  
"Well, it seems like you boys are doing a jolly good job. Carry on."  
  
"Pardon us, Lord Greenway, but we were jus' wondering something abou' all this 'ere."  
  
"All..._what_, exactly, Thomas?"  
  
"The permission to board 'ere. I thought you said yesterday that there'd be other 'elpers already 'ere to 'elp us with all o' this."  
  
"Other helpers? Permission? Oh, my dear fellow, you are quite mistaken. In case you don't _recall_...are not SUPPOSED to be here, you dolt! _Remember_?!"  
  
Tarzan had seemed quite surprised by this loud remark, and frowned harder, although he felt quite worried about the man's cold tone of voice. He heard the man's dynamic shrink into a whisper, and his keen ears picked up what was being said.  
  
"Now, listen up. _No one_ is to know that we are here. The gentleman in charge of this dock is a certain Monsieur Renard Dumont, and he is away on business. You see gentleman, that is the _entire_ fact why I chose to travel to Africa at this certain time! If you haven't disfunctured head injuries then you ought to understand. We need to find the missing arti-"  
  
"Lord Greenway! _Lord Greenway_!" came a frantic shout, and Tarzan felt annoyed at the hushed voice being cut off. He simply frowned harder and began to listen in once more.  
  
"What is this?! Archibald-I _thought_ I told you..."  
  
"Begging your pardon, Lord Greenway, but Miss Olivia is _gone_!"  
  
"Gone? _Gone_-what do you mean, _'gone'_?!"  
  
"Honest, sir! She was standing right by the gangway! I took my eyes off her for a minute, and then the next..."  
  
Tarzan decided that he had heard enough. If they were going to be searching for this; 'Olivia', then they may discover his hiding spot. Darting away from the clearing, he patrolled back into the green plants that were concealing the heart to the jungle.  
  
_They can't be here for a good reason,_ Tarzan thought to himself. _Dumont doesn't know that they are here, and...what were they talking about afterwards? Something they were trying to find. I **knew** I was right before. Those men **are** searching for something. But what?_

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Olivia had walked quite a distance into the forest, taking in every sound, every depth, and every leaf. "It's so beautiful," she murmured to herself, gathering up her satin skirts as she stepped over a mossy log. She travelled her eyes to the leafy ground, tiny leaves poking their heads above the soil. She smiled sweetly as she saw hungry parrots flapping overheard, on the hunt for something to eat.  
  
"I can't see why Father dislikes this so much," she wondered aloud, talking soothingly to herself to give herself confidence. "He needn't _ought_ to. He should enjoy the _beauty_ of nature, not the _malice_ of it."  
  
As she turned slowly about to catch the breathtaking view of the golden sunlight dappling through the canopy leaves, she heard a gentle snort sound in front of her.

"Oh, my!" she proclaimed aloud, whirling around with a sharp gasp, her eyes filled with shock. On her turning she caught the toe of her boot on a tree root and fell onto the soft floor with a sharp _bump_.  
  
"_Oofgh_," she gasped out, her curly locks flowing over her shoulders. Raising her head dazedly, she saw that she was looking straight into two beady black eyes. She drew her breath in with a shuddering gasp, only to focus on the curious face of a baby rhino.  
  
"Oh," she uttered kindly, pushing herself up to a kneeling position, checking out the baby in wonder. "Wherever did _you_ appear from?" she asked gently, tickling the calf under the chin. The baby snorted and scraped at the soil with delight at the soft feeling.  
  
"Are you lost?" she wondered aloud. The baby rhino let out a low whine.  
  
"Oh, you poor darling," she comforted, beginning to stroke his back with understanding. "That's what you get for wandering off now, isn't it? Hmm. Maybe we can find your parents," she began to murmur to herself, looking overhead and around the clearing for a sign of the herd, or at least some footprints.  
  
"_What_...?" a low whisper flew out of her mouth as she heard heavy, pounding footsteps coming towards her. Her eyes flew open with fright as she heard the hammering coming nearer and nearer.  
  
The calf suddenly let out a high-pitched squeal, and Olivia instantly placed her pale arms around his armoured body for protection, although she secretly wished that someone were shielding her also...  
  
_CRASH_! The owner's footsteps had now greeted the two by trampling through a region of bushes, causing several pieces of debris to fly to one side. It was a large, grey rhino, scraping at the ground furiously, its black eyes eyeing the scene between Olivia and the calf. It automatically let out a ferocious growl, strong dust billowing out of its humongous nostrils. It looked _very_ angry.  
  
With a nervous gulp, Olivia whispered to the baby, still keeping her fear-frozen eyes on the large beast. "I...is this your m...mummy?" she motioned to him, her voice shaking in a shrill squeak. With a weak smile, she released the baby, who immediately ran over to his mother with a loud whine. The female rhino nuzzled her calf, her face now longer cross. She almost seemed to be smiling.  
  
"Well!" Olivia exclaimed in a jittery tone, dusting her hands off and beginning to back away. "It was all very _lovely_ meeting you both, but...due to the circumstances I really must dash!"  
  
All whilst she was reciting this, the female rhino glared murderously at her, more steam exploding from its nostrils, a frightening snarl emerging from her throat. She hoofed the floor with fury.  
  
Olivia's face breaking out into a terrified expression, she could sense what was about to happen. Scooping up her lilac skirts quickly, she began to run back deeper into the jungle. "TA-TA!" she squealed, sprinting clumsily over broken tree roots and dirt mounds.  
  
Her pants weren't enough to block out the scary sound she heard next. Clambering, pounding hooves were thundering towards her. The rhino was charging!  
  
"_NOOOO_!" Olivia wailed, pushing past branches and low hanging vines. "NOO! _HELP ME_! SOMEONE-**_HEEEELP_**!"  
  
In frenzy, she kept darting as fast as her boots could take her, tripping, stumbling and skidding over mossy ground and upraised shrubs. Foolishly, she turned her head behind her, over her shoulder, to see how far ahead she was of her pursuer. But soon, she realised she had made a big mistake. Her foot collided with open air!  
  
"_OHHHHH_!" she managed to moan as she plummeted through the jungle sky! The wind whipped horribly at her face as she fell, her frightened green eyes glancing at the nearing ground, which was getting closer every second!  
  
"_ARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH_-_OOOOOHHHH_-**_HEEEELP_**!" she pleaded, her arms flailing the wind, trying to reach out for something-anything, to grab onto. But there was nothing. She squeezed her eyes shut as she plummeted, water spilling out of them from the pressure of the wind. She never knew that she would leave like this, but it was true.  
  
She was going to die.


	3. Part Three

**Disclaimer:** The characters and relationships between the characters from the Tarzan books and the movies are copyright of Edgar Rice Burroughs and Disney. I only own any fanfiction characters.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

**Category:** Disney (Tarzan)  
**Genre:** Romance/Action/Adventure  
**Rating:** PG  
**Summary:** More strangers encounter the African jungle, but what do they want? One of the humans finds herself rather attracted to Tarzan, but how can she remove Jane from the picture so she can be with him?

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

**Part Three**

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

"_Mmm_..." Olivia groaned, rolling onto her back, feeling the dappled light shine warmly on her rosy cheeks. With her eyes clenched, her palms searched the surface that was holding her body. It certainly wasn't dirt. It was the wooden limb of a tree. She could feel the growing moss attached to the sides of it.

_I...I'm **alive**,_ Olivia thought, confusion blurring her mind. _But, but how is that possible? I fell hundreds of feet - how can I be unharmed? And...how in heavens name did I become engaged in this tree?_  
  
Olivia's eyelids began to flutter weakly. She opened them wonderingly, pondering over the miraculous event of her survival. She still couldn't imagine what had happened...until it all came flooding back. She could remember the baby rhino and its mother, how the female had become so furious and she had chased Olivia through the jungle.

_But then..._ Olivia thought, thinking hard. _I...I was falling, I can remember. I was running, and then I fell off a cliff...I was screaming, and now, here I am...**alive**. _It sounded so ridiculous.  
  
All Olivia could see was an image of blurred teal. At first she thought that it was the sky, but when her vision focused properly, she saw that she was staring into two, strong, green-blue eyes. Olivia's own sea emerald eyes snapped open in surprise. At first there was a long silence. But it soon shattered.  
  
"_MAAARRRGGGGHHHH_!" Olivia squealed shrilly, pulling herself up from the bough and sitting upright, staring at her sight in terror. She saw what _looked_ like a man, except he was _crouching_, and he strongly reminded her of a gorilla's posture, though she couldn't explain why. She suddenly felt her cheeks turn scarlet as she gaped at him.

_Good heavens..._ she trailed. _He's hardly even **wearing** anything! He's only wearing a loincloth! Gracious, how embarrassing..._  
  
Frightened and puzzled at the same time, the girl began to back away using her palms and boots, seeing the frowning face of the man. Her breathing sped up rapidly, her eyes were wide with shock, and her thumping heart was pounding vigorously in her throat. "No...no, _noooo_..." she moaned, as she had finally reached the trunk of the tree, finding she had nowhere else to go.  
  
The man, she saw, had become to make his way over to her, using his knuckles to walk on, his arched legs and his straight back for balance, Olivia once again saw how much he was acting like a gorilla, but now wasn't really the time. He was moving closer...closer..._nearer_...

She realised that he had her cornered, and she couldn't do anything to prevent it. She saw his face looming in towards her, cocked to one side, his face filled with confusion.  
  
Olivia realised that after everything that had just happened, she really couldn't take anymore. Curling up her knees to her chest, placing folded arms on top of them; she buried her face into the gap. She felt strong, salty tears warming up again, shaking violently as she stared at the branch beneath her. _I'm about to die - I'm going to die...someone help me, I'm going to die - Mummy, help me, help me..._  
  
She began to sob pitifully, hot tears tickling down her already scorching cheeks. She couldn't help herself. Her weeps sounded soulful, as if she wanted someone to reach down from above and take her away. Someone safe.

"Please," she choked out, still not glancing up from her arms. "Please...just leave me alone, don't hurt me..._please_..." She sobbed more quietly after that, as if waiting for something awful to happen. But instead, she felt something. A warm hand on her arm.

_Oh no,_ she thought, terrified. _He's touching me...he's **touching** me - what's he planning to do to me?_  
  
She pulled sharply out of his hold with a choked gasp, her cheeks stinging from her hot tears, and even more tears leaking out of her jade eyes. They were now open in horror, as she stared up at the wild man. For a moment, her heavy breathing flew in and out on the humid air, before she finally managed to speak once again.

"Please, _please_ don't hurt me...please...just let me go." She couldn't look away from his face, wondering, planning on what he was going to do next. Olivia didn't know how a wild man happened to be here in the jungle, either way, he positively _terrified_ her.  
  
But then, a strange thing happened. The wild man's features softened. His frown vanished, and now his eyebrows had seemed to narrow, almost as if he were pitying her. He didn't look cross or puzzled any longer. Now he looked rather sorry. Olivia stopped begging instantly, making the silence between them present once again.  
  
Olivia ran her eyes across his face, seeing his features, examining them properly, and inspecting his eyes. She suddenly felt rather bashful, and could feel her cheeks burn as she gazed at him. It was then that she noticed how handsome he was. Compellingly, her eyes darted over his tanned body, his curved posture, and his well-toned muscles. She thought that he appeared so strong. Her shy eyes turned back onto his face again, and she immediately felt a little less afraid. But the new fast-paced beating of her heart _was_ something to think about.  
  
It was then that she heard words escaping out of the blue, in a rich, deep voice that gave her goose bumps at the very sound of it. "Are you alright?"  
  
Olivia stared at the wild man. It was then that she realised what had just happened. She struggled to find her voice, which was annoyingly lodged in her throat. "Did...did you just..._say_ something?" she asked, trying not to sound as frightened as she still felt.  
  
The wild man nodded, his face still very worried. "Yes," he told her comfortingly.

Olivia felt herself shiver all over. His words always seemed to sound so _wonderful_, as if he were protecting her without even _touching_ her, like he wanted her to be safe. The wild man repeated his question as before, still sounding anxious.

"Are you alright?"  
  
Olivia suddenly felt very horrid. She had acted like that he was going to harm her, and yet here he was, being so kind and supportive that she felt like that she had made a huge fuss over nothing.

"Oh," she breathed, her tears drying instantly, her voice rather mellow. "Y...yes. I'm alright." She almost felt like kicking herself for sounding so ridiculous before.  
  
The wild man moved a little closer, taking her arm in his hand. "Why were you crying?" he asked, his gorgeous blue eyes full of worry.

Olivia felt herself grow warm at his touch, his fingertips against her pale skin felt like tiny sparks of electricity running over her flesh. She felt herself blush along her cheekbones as she stared back at him, her green eyes locked on his.  
  
"I...I...I..." she started, but for a reason she couldn't finish. She didn't really know why that she had been crying. She didn't want to tell this wild man that he had terrified her. It might hurt his feelings. Instead, another question slipped out through her lips.

"H...how did I get here?"  
  
The wild man still kept his grip on her arm, which Olivia was thankful that he did. "You were falling," he explained simply. "I heard you scream, so I caught you. I took you up here afterwards. I think you had fainted." His voice sounded so soothing Olivia imagined that she was melting from the tone of it.

"Oh," she whispered again, managing a weak smile, the heat from her cheeks drying up her tears. "You rescued me. T-thank you."  
  
The wild man smiled warmly back at her, and Olivia felt a dreamy, dazed look coming across her mind. He looked so much more handsome when he smiled.

_He's so beautiful_, she thought to herself vaguely. _And he's so kind. He's wonderful. But...there's so much I wish to know about him._

Olivia broke out from her daydream, glancing up at the wild man, afraid to move her arm in case it broke his contact with it. She murmured out another question, lost in bewilderment and confusion. "Who...who _are_ you?" she uttered, her voice sloped.  
  
The wild man removed his hand from her shaking arm, pulling himself into an easy crouch. "I'm Tarzan," he said plainly, his voice making Olivia's heart pound with excitement.  
  
Olivia's face fell into confusion, her green eyes darting around, unsure of where to look. She finally faced him again. "Your name is...what-sorry?" she questioned politely.  
  
"Tarzan," he said again, this time, with a sweet smile. Then he added; "Who are you?"  
  
"O-Oh," Olivia announced, feeling automatically foolish. "Terribly sorry-excuse my poor manners." She dangled a leg over each side of the tree, placing a hand to her chest formally. "I'm Olivia," she pronounced graciously. "Olivia Greenway."  
  
Tarzan frowned in thought. He could remember that name. Olivia Greenway...Greenway - where had he heard that? Then he remembered.

_Those men who were talking at the docks! Someone said that an 'Olivia' had gone missing, and someone was shouting to someone called 'Lord Greenway'. This must be the Olivia that went missing. And that man...must have been her father._

He spoke up for her, telling her what he had heard. "Your father was looking for you," he informed her. "He knows you are missing."  
  
Olivia blinked. "What do you know of my father?" she asked pleasantly, though her features were tight with confusion.  
  
Tarzan didn't answer her. Instead, he placed both of his strong, gentle hands on her shoulders. "I think I should take you back," He told her kindly, looking her straight in the eyes. "Your father is worried about you."  
  
Olivia felt her cheeks blush as she stared at him, so many more questions left to ask. She didn't want to go back. She wanted to stay in this tree. With Tarzan.

"No-no," she pleaded, shaking her head slowly. "Please, please don't take me back." She lowered her head, foolish for sounding so defiant.  
  
Tarzan frowned mildly, trying to understand what she meant. "Why?" he finally asked, taking his hands off her shoulders, searching her face for answers.  
  
"Well, because..." Olivia started, biting her lip with worry, trying to find a suitable explanation. She decided to use her emotions for her own need. "My...my father...he doesn't...he doesn't want me around."  
  
Tarzan's thoughtful glower faded. He could remember what it was like to have a father who didn't want you to be around. He could imagine what it had been like. Kerchak had never wanted him for a son, and he never wanted to be Tarzan's father. He had looked upon him with loathing and disgust. Was this how Greenway was treating Olivia?  
  
"Oh," he said, pity once again in his tone. By now, he was unsure of what to do. _Greenway didn't really sound very trusting_, he thought to himself. _Perhaps I shouldn't take Olivia back to him. But she can't stay up in this tree forever._ Tarzan suddenly had an idea.  
  
"Come back with me," he said, making Olivia look up in surprise. "I'll take you back to my treehouse. You'll be safe there."  
  
Olivia felt flattered by his suggestion and the way that he was being so kind. She sighed at the beautiful, deep voice that was giving her this invite. "Oh, _would_ you?" she asked hopefully, her face shining with the knowing that she would stay with him longer.  
  
Tarzan nodded with a satisfied smile. "Yes," he told her gently, pulling back into his gorilla posture again. "You don't have to go back to your father."  
  
Olivia smiled sweetly at his charming face, the way that he so much wanted to help her. First by saving her life, then by offering to take care of her until she was ready to go back home. _Maybe when we go back to his treehouse I could ask him more questions,_ she thought. _I really wish to know why he moves like a gorilla so, and how he got such a peculiar name._  
  
"Thank you..._Tarzan_," she murmured, blushing once more.


	4. Part Four

**Disclaimer:** The characters and relationships between the characters from the Tarzan books and the movies are copyright of Edgar Rice Burroughs and Disney. I only own any fanfiction characters.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

**Category:** Disney (Tarzan)  
**Genre:** Romance/Action/Adventure  
**Rating:** PG  
**Summary:** More strangers encounter the African jungle, but what do they want? One of the humans finds herself rather attracted to Tarzan, but how can she remove Jane from the picture so she can be with him?

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

**Part Four**

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Jane bit her lip nervously, her pale hands caressing her forearms as she glanced worriedly about. Tarzan had been gone for too long, and she was getting more anxious by the minute. It was still all too quiet, and the silence scared the Englishwoman.  
  
"It's been too long," she whispered to herself, fright entering her body at the mere thought of what could be happening. She felt herself grow cold despite the heat of what could be occurring right at this very moment. She felt panicked at the realisation that he could be in _danger_ of some kind.  
  
"Keep looking! She's got to be around here _somewhere_!"  
  
Jane heard the sound of approaching masculine voices and turned about, confused. She had no idea that these men where here. That's when it dawned on her.

_They must be the new arrivals_, she thought worriedly. _Perhaps they know what's become of Tarzan! But who are they looking for?_ She listened carefully, unsure of where the voices were coming from, but it was obvious that they were getting closer.  
  
"She's not 'ere, sir! Maybe she didn't come in 'ere after all!"  
  
"Oh, don't be such a _coward_, Cornelius! Anyone would think that you were _scared_ of this forest!"  
  
"Well...sort of. I mean, aren't leopards and monkeys meant to live in the jungle?"  
  
"Afraid of _monkeys_, are you, old chap?"  
  
"Not cute littl' monkeys, but..._gorillas_ and everything! They'll kill you on contact, I hear!"  
  
Jane felt herself burn with anger at these words. The gorilla family she lived with would never do such an unruly thing. Certainly not lovable Terk or gentle Kala. How could these men _say_ such things?! She found herself walking out from behind the tree and standing in their path.  
  
"I _beg_ your pardon?" she questioned coolly, crossing her arms casually across her chest, her eyes narrowed slightly.  
  
"Good Lord!" proclaimed Lord Greenway, staggering into the others in shock.  
  
Thomas's face fell into fear. "I bet she's one of them Amazons! Livin' in the jungle like this!"  
  
"Nonsense!" Lord Greenway snapped. "She speaks perfect English. She mustn't be native." He immediately began to sound rather polite as he addressed their surpriser. "Can I be of assistance, madam?" he questioned curiously, eyebrows raised in a demanding way.  
  
Jane still continued to glare at them, still kept in her defiant position. "Not at all," she began, tossing a strand of hair over her shoulder. "I would just like to know what you find so _vulgar_ about gorillas."  
  
Lord Greenway sighed slowly, brushing a hand through his hair. "My dear, that was my associate _Thomas_ who suggested that remark. He always gets rather jittery when entering new areas, you see." He seemed to eye Jane mysteriously, as if wondering something. "May I ask how you came to _be_ here, madam?"  
  
Jane huffed a little, turning her nose up at the man. "I don't see why that should be any of _your_ business, sir," she inclined formally, eyeing him with dislike. She moved her gaze down towards the man, who she saw had a shotgun attached to his belt. Her blue eyes widened a little in horror and realisation.  
  
"You're...you're _poachers_," she gasped, her folded arms dropping to her sides.  
  
Lord Greenway chuckled, his voice giving off quite a low, cold tone that Jane immediately hated. "My dear," he commented with a sneer. "You are _quite_ correct, but I don't see why that should be any of _your_ business."  
  
Jane's voice came out in a hushed, choked whisper, that was full of fright and despair. "What have you done with him?" she demanded, feeling her sapphire eyes well with tears.  
  
Lord Greenway frowned. "Excuse me?" he asked, a slight hint of humour in his voice. "I'm sorry, my dear. I don't know _what_ you're talking about."  
  
Jane stopped and thought about this. He _certainly **sounded** sincere_, she wondered. _Maybe he really doesn't know where Tarzan is. I should search for him._

Without another word, she turned her back on the men and began to make her way into the jungle. It was then that she felt strong hands grab her arms and pull her back.  
  
"What-? Let me _go_! _Unhand_ me!" she protested in terror, struggling to remove their grasp. The two men brought her towards Lord Greenway, who smiled down at her with an icy grin.  
  
"Well, well, well," he mocked, glaring down into her worried face. "You _are_ a spirited one, aren't you?" He ran his freezing hand down Jane's warm cheek, but then brought it back before slapping her around the face with a sickening _smack_!

Jane's eyes welled up with fresh tears as she whimpered in agony. The man sneered horribly at the trembling girl before grasping her chin in his hand, forcing her face upwards, ignoring her cry of pain.  
  
"Now listen here," he started in a monstrous voice. "_No-one_ treats me in such a disrespectful manner. Especially a dignified lady such as yourself."  
  
Tears ran down Jane's cheeks. The man's grip was indeed painful, and she hadn't taken him for granted at all. She needed help; who knew what this man was capable of doing? He had even slapped her, knowing that she was an English lady. He really didn't have any respect.  
  
She found a choked scream escaping her throat before she could stop it. "_TARZAN! HEEEELLLP! **TAARZAN**_!"  
  
Lord Greenway realised his hold at the sound of the wail, but his look was one of uncertainty. "What _are_ you talking about?" he questioned harshly, staring her with menace.  
  
Sobs now began to flow from Jane's throat, as she lowered her head and stared at the floor, tears leaking through her pained eyes. "Just...just let me go..._please_," she begged, her voice full of pleading. "I'm sorry."  
  
Lord Greenway horribly answered her. "I'm afraid _sorry_ doesn't cut it, my dear," he snapped, growls escaping in his words. "You're going to regret the words you inflicted on me. I mean it."  
  
Jane's weeps became quieter. She knew that there was no point in crying. This man obviously meant business. She kept her head down and waited for what would come to her.

"_OW_!" came a cry from behind them.

Lord Greenway turned about to see Archibald Storm sprawled on the ground, someone pinning him to the floor. His brown eyes opened wide in disbelief as he gaped at Tarzan. "What on _earth_...?!" he spluttered, quite forgetting what was going on around him.  
  
Tarzan's face broke into a frown, as he pulled his lips back in a ferocious snarl, growls escaping from his throat.  
  
"It's _inhuman_!" Thomas gasped, his hands still clenched around Jane's arms.  
  
It was then that Jane gazed upward, and her tear-filled eyes fell on her husband. "_Tarzan_!" she cried desperately, her tear-stained cheeks stinging sharply.  
  
Tarzan's eyes broke out of their frown as he stared at Jane, trapped in the human's possession. "Jane!" he gasped, but then his glower returned as he spotted Cornelius and Thomas holding her tightly.

With an angry roar, he leapt towards them. "Get off her!" he shouted, throwing Thomas to the floor roughly.  
  
Meanwhile, Lord Greenway was busily loading up his shotgun. Once he had it set up, he tried to aim it at Tarzan's back. "Get out of the way, Thomas-you _fool_!" he snapped harshly, as he tried to remain focus on the ape-man.  
  
"_NOOO_!" Jane wailed, trying to remove her arms from Cornelius' grip, her wide, tear-filled eyes watching the scene. "LEAVE HIM ALONE!" She kicked Cornelius sharply in the shin, but she only succeeded in receiving a slap around the face, making her whimper in anguish as her eyes filled with tears.  
  
"**_RRRRRRR_**!" Tarzan shouted, rising from Thomas and dashing over to the man on all fours, his face fixed with determination, his frown burning in rage from witnessing Jane's blow.  
  
Thomas, who was now raising himself from the ground, waved at Lord Greenway to catch his attention. "SHOOT!" he cried out, struggling to get up. "SHOOT THE SAVAGE!"  
  
Lord Greenway focused on the charging wild man, who now was paying no heed to his surroundings, and was paying more attention on rescuing Jane.  
  
BANG! The gun went off with a deafening sound, missing Archibald by an inch, but managing to make a target.  
  
"_ARRGGGHHH_!" Tarzan cried out in pain, clutching his shoulder with agony. Spots of blood surrounded themselves around the ape-man's fingers, a few drops trickling down his arm. He squeezed his blue eyes shut tight in agony, stopping in his tracks, collapsing to the floor.  
  
"_TARZAN_!" Jane screamed, tears flowing from her eyes and rolling down her smarting cheeks. "**_NOOOO_**!" Desperately, she struggled to get free. Her depression seemed to give her strength and they released her, causing her to fall to the ground on hands and knees.  
  
"Let's get out o' 'ere!" Archibald suggested in a panic, picking himself up from the floor and dashing through the jungle, closely followed by Thomas and Cornelius as well as Greenway. They weren't going to stick around long to find out what might happen next. What if that wild man got up and began pursuing them? They didn't want to take any chances.  
  
Tarzan lay groaning on the ground, teeth gritted in pain, his dark brown dreadlocks dangled over his face as he kept his hand firmly gripped around his shoulder. His hand was covered with blood from the deep wound, and the fresh pain brought back so many memories.  
  
"Tarzan!" Jane wept, scrambling over to him frantically and kneeling by his side, her eyes red and swollen from crying so much. A clear handprint was positioned on her face from where she had been slapped. Tears trickling down her cheeks, she rested her head on his arm, caressing his cheek with her shaking hand. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, her voice sloping with sadness. "I'm so sorry."  
  
She let her gaze fall upon his shoulder, which was bleeding at an alarming rate. His fingers were drenched in blood and it was also trickling down his arm. His hand was still clenched around the injury, eyes squeezed shut from torture.  
  
Jane raised her voice, causing it to sound around the canopies, her echoes sounding pleading and forlorn, desperately seeking counsel. "_HEEELLP_!" she wailed, her voice shattering the silence with her anguished sobs.  
  
_"SOMEONE! **PLEASE HELP**!"_


	5. Part Five

**Disclaimer:** The characters and relationships between the characters from the Tarzan books and the movies are copyright of Edgar Rice Burroughs and Disney. I only own any fanfiction characters.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

**Category:** Disney (Tarzan)  
**Genre:** Romance/Action/Adventure  
**Rating:** PG  
**Summary:** More strangers encounter the African jungle, but what do they want? One of the humans finds herself rather attracted to Tarzan, but how can she remove Jane from the picture so she can be with him?

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

**Part Five**

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Anxious voices sounded dim and faint as the colours began to blend back into one another, the atmosphere returning little by little. Tarzan felt his eyelids flutter open gently.

"Tarzan?" came a familiar voice. "Tarzan, can you hear me?"

He frowned slightly, attempting to bring recognition as to who was talking to him, and trying to bring him back to wherever he needed to be. Something suddenly clicked together in his brain and he opened his mouth to speak.

"You," he whispered, looking into the forestry eyes of young Olivia.

"Oh, thank goodness!" she breathed, her face lighting up with an elegant smile, as her cheekbones glazed with blush. She turned and called back to the inside of the treehouse, although Tarzan could only see her. "It's all right! He's awake!"

Soft footsteps came next and soon Tarzan heard the thankful cries of his wife, greeting him with a gentle shadow and a warm kiss on his lips. He smiled lazily.

"Oh, Tarzan – thank _heavens _you're all right!" she gasped out, soft tears of relief beginning to brim behind her eyelids. "I thought I had lost you for a moment, my love – I was so _worried!" _She rested her head on his chest, snuggling into the fresh dosage of comfort and want.

Confused and still a little dizzy, Tarzan tried to sit up, but found that fresh pain seared through his arm and fingers and he had to lie down once more, a wave of nausea flooding his vision. "What happened?" he managed to croak.

"Don't you remember, my boy?" another voice answered, and the professor emerged from the other room, carrying a roll of bandages in one hand, his face grave and serious. "You ran into quite a bit of trouble out there – more than usual...and Jane was so worried..."

Jane giggled despite the situation and gave her husband a weak smile. "What daddy _means _to say, darling, is that for a while, I wasn't sure what to do. Luckily, Tantor finally heard my cries and we carried you home."

Tarzan blinked, the crimson pachyderm a blurred memory. "Tantor?"

"Why – that's right!" the professor chimed in again, his green eyes now focused on the sight of their new young arrival. "And what a surprise it was when _this _charming lady was waiting here...in your treehouse, of all places!" He gestured towards the flushing Olivia. "She told a fascinating story on what had happened to her out there in the jungle...poor girl – "

Olivia chuckled. "Well, Mr Porter, I wouldn't necessarily use the word _fascinating, _now...more or less – "

"Needless to say," broke in Jane, directing her beaming, rosy expression to the girl, taking her hand in hers with delight. "She proved herself to be a very amiable person indeed." She turned to Tarzan again, new found happiness lighting up her sapphire eyes. "She assisted us with your injury, love."

"She did?" Tarzan questioned. He stared into Olivia's jade eyes with an look that couldn't be doubted as gratitude. "Thank you."

The girl felt her cheeks grow warm again but she struggled to hide it from Jane by turning away, suddenly very preoccupied with her hands. "Well...erm, you're very welcome, Tarzan," she spluttered, gathering up the wet cloth that was laid at the side of the bed.

Making her way back to the back room of the treehouse, Olivia spun around to declare something else, when she noticed that once again, Tarzan's strong arms were encircled around Jane's shoulders, and their faces and lips were touching together in small signs of affection. A soft smile was grazing the young man's face as he kissed the woman he loved, all the while a bruising pain seemed to be crushing Olivia's chest.

She hid a suppressible sigh as she carried the utensils to the opposite corner and allowed the two of them to enjoy each other's company.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

"_Dewdrop?" came the feeble whisper, drifting into the young teenager's ears. _

_She smiled faintly, attempting to bring some shred of happiness or hope into the tiny, suffocating bedroom. "Hello, mummy," she answered back, her tone a little choked._

_The woman smiled, her long chestnut curls draped over the soft, feather pillow and swimming there. Her sea green eyes seemed dimmed, as if they were a candle struggling to keep its light on the sill of a gale's victim. She coughed._

"_How are you feeling?" came the question, trying not to be as sad as it sounded._

_Lady Catherine grinned, looking rather unusual against her waning features. "Oh...I'm feeling fantastic, sweetheart," she answered sincerely, her voice croaky but sounding rather melodious, as if she were singing. "I finally get to see the world...I shall finally be free." She raised a shaky hand to her daughter's cheek, stroking it tenderly, and suddenly that small flicker of sadness reached the sight. "The only thing I regret is...leaving behind what I love so much."_

_Sobs erupted from the girl's lips and she let the tears flow bitterly, angry that she hadn't been able to stop them and show her mother that she was growing up from adolescence, escaping childhood and juvenile tendencies. She wanted to show her that she had dignity, and that crying showed the lack of it._

_At least, hadn't that been what her father had told her?_

"_Oh, mummy," she wept, burying her face in her palms as sunken tears dripped onto the front of her layered dress. "I don't want you to leave me...I don't want you to go."_

_Her mother coughed again, this time sounding very hollow and low, as it cruelly tore at her delicate throat. "I shall always be with you, Dewdrop...I shall never leave you – "_

"_Yes, you **will!" **squeaked the young girl, squeezing her hands together as her untidy hair hung down loosely, tears dripping and flowing through the fleshy banks. "You **are **leaving me, mummy – I'll never see you again, and I shall be left alone with...with **him**..."_

_This time, a rather impatient sigh hung in the air as it freed itself from the woman's ruined lungs. Her brow creased with seriousness. "Your father loves you, darling," she told her gently. "He cares deeply for you. Please take care of him for me. He is not a bad man."_

_Warm droplets cascaded down the girl's face, and that would have been enough to cause her mother to disappear altogether. _

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

"Miss Greenway?"

Olivia turned sharply from the bamboo encircled window and found herself staring straight into Jane's concerned face, her eyebrows narrowed in puzzlement.

She suddenly felt dampness on her cheeks and brushed it away quickly with a sweep of her pale hand, pieces of her copper hair clinging to it without want. "Hello," she sniffed, attempting to crack one of her pleasant grins.

_Please go away, _she thought miserably. _I don't want anyone to see me like this._

"Whatever's the matter?" the woman asked kindly, lightly touching her shoulder for supporting comfort, the kind that anyone would give for if they were grieving so deeply. "You look so upset, dear."

Olivia breathed her sadness away. "I was merely...thinking about someone."

Understandably, Jane sat down on a nearby chair, wooden motif, and motioned graciously for Olivia to sit down next to her, a sweet, warming smile lighting up the mood.

Reluctantly, the young English girl paced slowly over to the seating area, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear, since she didn't want to fiddle with her fingers and she somehow managed to blink a few hijacking tears behind her eyes.

"Now, tell me," Jane began calmly, taking one of Olivia's hands in both of her gentle ones. "What's troubling you?"

Olivia sighed deeply, not quite sure where to begin. After all, no one else had really asked her much about her past. She wasn't intent on telling anyone and this had caused her to think it wasn't important enough for the knowledge of others. Still, she found herself speaking.

"My mother," she explained in a tiny voice. "She died when I was just a young girl...and I never...I-I never..." She paused, staring at the fingers that were sympathetically caressing hers.

"It's all right," Jane assured her. "Go on."

Tears were working their way up again: she could feel them burning behind her lids. "I never had a chance to say that I loved her," she whispered, biting her lip as a way to prevent it from trembling.

"I'm sorry," was the considerate reply, and now the soft fingers were squeezing. "I understand how you feel."

Olivia looked up. "Your mother is dead?"

Jane nodded, with no sign to escape the confrontation.

"God rest her soul."

Her blue eyes lit up with a new smile at the politeness of the young girl. "Thank you. It was quite a blow at first light, but...that was so long ago. I understood that I still have others to look after me, others who still cared about me. My father...and now Tarzan." She beamed to herself, for a few seconds into the conversation she seemed lost in her own little world. "He is all that my heart was waiting for."

The sea green eyes seemed to waver a little, before fixating and regaining their dignity. "I wish I were as lucky as you, Mrs Jane. It's...it's different for me."

Jane's smile flickered slightly. "Oh? How do you mean?"

"It's...it's just my father..." but then with a stab of horror she trailed off, realising that she was saying too much. If these people discovered that it had been her father that had brought harm and pain to Tarzan, then they may wish to cast her out and never have anything to do with her ever again.

_I don't want that, _she told herself. _I wish to stay here, with Tarzan._

She shook the thoughts away with a wave of her hand and a smile of amusement, reflecting Jane's addictive grin. "No matter," she announced cheerfully. "The important thing is that Tarzan is well again. We don't want to be travelling down a ramp of unhappy memories, now do we?"

Jane was immediately warming to Olivia, with her charm and English ways. It had been a while since she had spoken to a woman with such intellect and understanding of the outside world whom she could really connect to, and now here she was, in the shape of an eighteen year old woman, with the sweetest nature and the wit to match. In some peculiar, bizarre way she felt as if she were sitting in an old, Victorian English parlour, chatting away and hearing all of the new delights that this girl had to offer.

"No," she answered kindly. "No, we don't want that at all."

"I got quite a bit of a fright when he was brought back in that condition," murmured Olivia, her eyes glazed with the thought of it again. "I was dreadfully frightened for him – at first I thought that he had been attacked by some animal."

Jane chuckled with a shake of her head. "Oh, no, no, Tarzan has had many encounters with animals, he knows their physiques ever so well...surely he would not have let himself become badly hurt over...a leopard, for instance."

Olivia's curiosity was beginning to take over and bubble out into the conversation. She had never met anyone like Tarzan before. Such a man: with his well toned muscles and boundless energy, moving in such a manner and knowing the movements of animals better than they did themselves...?

"Who _is _Tarzan?" the question just slipped out before she could stop herself.

Jane frowned, the confusion causing a ripple effect that spread to all parts of her face and even her voice. "Who _is _he? I'm sorry, what do you mean?"

The girl sighed, feeling as if she had said the wrong thing. "I'm sorry if I was so bold – "she started to apologise, but Jane interrupted her.

"No – no, I was just...please elaborate."

Her jade irises swam with new questions that needed answering, and as she twiddled her fingers uncomfortably and idly gathering the skirts on her dress, let loose her voice to the Englishwoman.

"He just seems so...different, from any other person I'd ever met. I-I could not understand it at first – I mean, I was slightly shocked, but...I don't know...something told me that I had nothing to worry about. Although when I first saw him he just seemed so...so, primitive. And that was something that I couldn't quite grasp."

"Oh, I see," Jane replied, nodding in understanding as the explanation progressed, politely listening. "It's quite a long story, actually. It delves back into Tarzan's childhood, and let me tell you...it's rather astonishing."

Olivia smiled, secretly dancing inside at finding out everything about this wonderful man that she had met...now maybe at last, once things made more sense, she would find more to talk about with him. It was something she had wanted to do as he had lain there beneath those blankets.

"I have time," she laughed gently, eager and interested. "Please, do go on. I would _love_ to hear everything."


	6. Part Six

**Disclaimer:** The characters and relationships between the characters from the Tarzan books and the movies are copyright of Edgar Rice Burroughs and Disney. I only own any fanfiction characters.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

**Category:** Disney (Tarzan)  
**Genre:** Romance/Action/Adventure  
**Rating:** PG  
**Summary:** More strangers encounter the African jungle, but what do they want? One of the humans finds herself rather attracted to Tarzan, but how can she remove Jane from the picture so she can be with him?

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

**Part Six**

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

It was a while before either woman said anything. Jane's fingers played with the frayed edges of her dress patiently, whilst Olivia was left sitting there in a black void, so many thoughts and wonders and fascinations swimming around inside of her, building up inside to a serial point of confusion.

"Gorillas?" she finally managed to squeak.

Jane nodded slowly, now her tinted gaze travelling behind her shoulder and boring into the opposite room, watching Tarzan as he lay beneath his covers, talking to the professor. "Yes," she replied quietly. "That's right. Everything is true."

"Good Lord," the girl breathed, staring straight into Jane's face with a look of both amazement and understanding. "I had no idea. However, it's a relief to say that it _finally_ all makes sense."

Jane chuckled. "Tarzan's history is nothing short of amazing," she agreed, but now her eyebrows narrowed thinly as she looked at Olivia – almost questioningly – with her curious eyes. "Although...I'm also rather suspicious as to where _you _came from. You've told us so much already, but...still, I feel as if I must know more about you."

Olivia swallowed. "Um?"

"Did you arrive on the boat this morning?" asked the Englishwoman slowly, remembering. "Tarzan and I noticed one docking earlier than usual. Where you one of the passengers, miss?"

Olivia thought quickly. _I can't tell her the truth, she would know who I am straight away – Heaven knows **what **they'll think of me! _

"I have been here for a fortnight now," she lied, her voice rather unsure as she wobbled around her words. "I came here with my...father and our guide, on...an expedition to, erm...study, err..." Her brain fought to think desperately and she remembered the chase in the forest. It slipped out a little too fast.

"Rhinos!" she blurted out. "I came to study rhinoceroses with my father."

Jane's eyebrows rose and a small grin formed across her attractive face. "How fascinating!" she included, showing a tinge of interest. "And that explains why that you were caught in that rampage with the female. Were you trying to study her – ?"

Olivia nodded, shaking her head up and down with a small, quaky giggle. "Yes, that's right! And she must have gotten the wrong idea..." she uttered. "I...I had wandered away from my father, he told me not to – but knowing me..." She chuckled a little _too _richly. "Silly Olivia!"

It wasn't a _complete _lie.

Jane smiled uncomfortably. "Umhum," she chuckled.

Olivia stared at the floor. "And then Tarzan rescued me," she continued, in rather a flat, muffled voice, as if this was her own little secret and she didn't wish to share it with anyone. "He offered to take me back here."

This time Jane frowned in confusion at the girl's words. "Wouldn't it make more sense if he returned you back to your father?" she asked, turning her head a little as if she were studying the woman at all angles, just to make sure. "He could be worried about you – "

"I don't _want _to go back!" suddenly blurted out Olivia, her fists clenching mindlessly at her sides without her realising. It was only when she saw the astonishment in Jane's face that she relaxed, mentally kicking herself.

"I'm sorry," she apologised, her cheeks burning. "But...I don't want to go back to them. It is truly _awful, _Jane...I doubt that they would have spotted my disappearance. They never care much for me since...well, since my mother died. I'm almost invisible to them." There was a tone in her words that caused a strike of pity to weal in Jane's heart. After all, the way that she was speaking made it sound as if her folks didn't love her at all.

Jane shook her head in sympathy. "No, _I'm _sorry," she continued, staring into the green eyes. "I had no idea it was so terrible for you."

"I don't want it to be," Olivia muttered.

"No, I'm sure you don't," Jane whispered kindly, taking hold of the girl's hand again and squeezing it. "If it is _that_ degrading for you, you may stay with us for a while. Would you like that?"

Olivia's face beamed almost instantly. She could stay here? Away from her uncaring father and closer to Tarzan? "Of course I would!" she replied eagerly, her eyes sparkling with delight. "Oh, thank you so much, Mrs Jane!"

Jane smiled, her rosy cheeks highlighting her pretty features. "Oh, come now, you may call me Jane," she informed her with some amusement. "You're making me feel quite superior!"

"Well then, _Jane,_" added Olivia, extending her hand towards Jane's. "You may call me Olivia," her hand clasped Jane's; "And it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Jane nodded enthusiastically as she shook the girl's hand with proper English pride. "The pleasure is all mine, Olivia."

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

_Bump! _Olivia felt herself tripping over her own feet and falling downwards, a rush of panic sweeping through her head. "Oh - !" she gasped out, but didn't have enough time to face oncoming bruises, as she felt strong arms support her waist and bring her settling back onto her feet.

Swallowing her breath in shock, she turned to stare into Tarzan's patient blue-green eyes.

"Erm..." she giggled, hoping that she wasn't blushing despite the fact that her face was on fire. "Thank you, Tarzan." She played with the edges of her dress, attempting to look elsewhere.

However, Tarzan, full of usual curiosity, directed his attention to the wooden floorboards of the treehouse, his keen sight fixed on a wooden book that had found itself skidding along the ground after the girl's fall. He gently scooped it up and opened it, holding it open with his fingers grasping one cover and letting the other dangle in the air. He frowned.

"This book has no words in it," he pointed out, squinting at the colourful plants behind gleaming glass.

Olivia chuckled, stepping up behind him. "It's not a storybook," she told him kindly. "It's a flower – pressing book. I collect flowers from all over the place and press them in here, to keep them preserved."

Tarzan gazed at her. "Why?"

"Well...it's a hobby of mine."

"Hobby...? Like Jane's drawings!" Tarzan announced triumphantly.

Olivia couldn't help a humoured laugh ripple through the air at his declaration, so innocent but yet so admirable. "Yes, that's right," she replied, a lock of auburn hair falling down by her face. "but I didn't know that Jane could draw."

Tarzan nodded. "Jane draws many things."

"Really?" Olivia suddenly looked very embarrassed, and she tried to hide it by biting her lip. "What does she draw? D-does she draw...you?" The question sounded almost hopeful.

A broad smile crossed Tarzan's face as he smiled eagerly. "Yes, she does," he answered, standing upright and holding the book out to her, ready to return it. "She finds lots of things to draw. She loves the jungle."

"Oh, so do _I_!" Olivia added, hugging the pressing folds to her chest with enthusiasm, clenching her fingers around it. "Goodness – the jungle is _marvellous, _Tarzan! There are so many things to discover! Why, I wish _I _could – !"

But at this, she quickly stopped herself just in time before the rest of her sentence could escape. She covered her mouth feebly and turned away, her cheeks flushing deep crimson.

"Yes?"

"It...it doesn't matter," she finished awkwardly, staring down at the floor, copying the movement of her heart as it sank beneath her happiness.

_How could I stay here? _she thought to herself bitterly. _How would I have the nerve? I would not be able to stay here, and watch Tarzan all day with Jane. It would make me incredibly jealous...and besides, mummy said..._

"I...I don't know if I can stay here for very long, Tarzan," she brought up miserably, squeezing the book to her front as he felt her hands shaking. She really didn't want to tell him this.

Tarzan frowned. "Why not?"

The girl sighed. "I must take care of my father, you see. I promised..._someone _a while ago...that I would. It was a promise – and you must always keep a promise! No matter...who it was made for." She whirled around to face him; to stare into his innocent eyes and see clear sparks of acknowledgment.

"Do you understand?" she asked kindly.

"Yes," he told her, walking over to her and gently taking her hand in his, squeezing it supportively as a way of encouragement. "I've had my own promises to keep."

Olivia chewed on her lower lip as she felt the man's strong fingers close around hers. They were so dangerous – but yet they could be so caring! They could protect her own from anything without bringing harm. She felt her own fingers becoming safer, as well as her heart...

"Err..._um..._" she mumbled, her heart pounding faster as she once again felt those same sparks of electricity that flooded into her skin and shot through her veins. Her throat became dry and she had to clear it.

"I'm sorry," she apologised through a cough, feeling her face burning more furiously than it had ever done in a long time. She awkwardly brushed back a few strands of fallen hair that were hanging in her eyes, and in her movement, caused the pressing book to slip from her clutches.

"Oh – !" she cried out as it hit the floor with a soft _thud. Me and my clumsy self! _she thought angrily, scolding herself for her foolishness at this present moment.

Tarzan helpfully scooped the wooden book from the floorboards and held it out to her once again without a word.

"I'm sorry...thank you," the girl giggled, receiving it with red cheeks. "I'm sorry, I can be so clumsy sometimes – I've never been very graceful."

Tarzan didn't make any judgements on how she thought of herself. Instead, a puzzled expression plastered onto his features. "Who?" he asked.

Olivia blinked, staring into his face as if expecting the answers to be written on him somewhere. She gazed at him, bewildered. "What do you mean?" she questioned politely.

"Who did you make a promise to?"

The girl sighed. She really hadn't wanted to bring up her mother in any conversation again, as it still hurt her a great deal. Everything about her had been special, from the time they had both spent together until the day she had died. Olivia had hoped that their bond would have continued after death, but instead she had felt it slipping further and further away, and there was nothing she could do about it.

Her childhood friend, Isabel Waters, had often spoken of the supernatural, and how when one person died, sometimes they would return to earth now and again, to greet the loved ones they had left behind, as a lot of their heart lived in them.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

"_My grandmamma is a ghost," she whispered across to Olivia as they quietly painted their still life perspectives. She added a few more lines of pure white into her roses._

_Olivia groaned. She stopped daydreaming (mixing different colours together on her palette) and looked up at her friend as if she was mad. "Don't be so silly."_

"_It's true!" Isabel proclaimed, dabbing at her drawing. "I swear she comes to see me sometimes...oddly when I miss her the most."_

_Olivia rolled her green eyes. "I don't believe in ghosts," she said._

"_Perhaps you should," her friend teased, stealing a few blobs of Olivia's pink paint. "How can you be so sure that you don't believe in something when you don't even know that it exists?"_

_The girl shrugged. "I just...**don't.**"_

"_Do you...I mean," Isabel started, glancing over at Olivia, but being very careful in her words as she knew how it affected her friend at times. "What about your mother? Do you think she is a ghost?"_

"_Of course not," she replied simply._

"_Oh?"_

_Olivia smiled a secret smile to herself, as she playfully mixed a blob of yellow paint with a smudge of blue, swirling them together to create a sea of green splattered onto her palette. _

"_My mother is an angel."_


	7. Part Seven

**Disclaimer:** The characters and relationships between the characters from the Tarzan books and the movies are copyright of Edgar Rice Burroughs and Disney. I only own any fanfiction characters.

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**Category:** Disney (Tarzan)  
**Genre:** Romance/Action/Adventure  
**Rating:** PG  
**Summary:** More strangers encounter the African jungle, but what do they want? One of the humans finds herself rather attracted to Tarzan, but how can she remove Jane from the picture so she can be with him?

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**Part Seven**

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The gleaming rays of the sliver African sun finally began to fade as night slowly crept across the jungle. The stars twinkled into view, and the continuous cawing of the birds disappeared as they prepared for sleep.

Jane yawned a little as she finished adding a few touches to her drawing. "There," she beamed, indicating Olivia over with her finger to show her.

Curiously, the girl appeared by Jane's side. "You've finished?" she whispered. The professor had only just drifted off and no one wished to disturb him. His soft, occasional snores floated from the other room.

Tarzan looked up eagerly at the word "finished" and with inquisitive movements he crept over to take a look at the drawing for himself, cocking his head to one side.

Jane's picture was a shaded, pencil sketch of Olivia, holding a tropical flower between her slender fingers, a small smirk curled at the corner of her little mouth. Her hair waved beautifully over her shoulders and her eyes almost seemed to be sparkling.

Olivia blushed. "Oh, Jane..."

"I like it," Tarzan smiled.

The girl bit her lip and tried not to look in Tarzan's direction. _He likes the drawing, _she thought secretly. _The drawing is of **me **– does he like the way that I look in it? _

She giggled a little. "Y-yes, so do I," she replied, twiddling with her fingers against the lilac shade of cotton that was her dress. She directed her attention back to the artist, sitting there with a few small smears of pencil fibre on her rosy cheeks.

"It's wonderful, Jane," she told her. "You're incredibly talented."

Jane's sapphire eyes lit up with the sight of a stranger – someone whom a few days ago she had never heard of – and yet...somehow, it almost seemed as if they had been friends for weeks.

"Thank you," she finally murmured, although she was sure she was the only one who had heard it. She found herself yawning again, but deeper this time. She was finding it hard to keep her eyes open.

Tarzan smiled a little. "You're tired, Jane," he observed.

"I...I think you may be right," said Jane between breaths of exhaustion. "I think I'd better get a little shut-eye." She got to her feet and carefully brushed pieces of drawing material away from the fabric of her skirt.

Tarzan stood to his feet and took Jane's hand in his, squeezing it gently. The fingers seemed to envelope Jane's as he held them protectively, preventing his love from any harm, it seemed to be.

Olivia felt a terrible pain suddenly drop to oblivion inside of her ribcage. It battered against the sides and then dropped sharply into the base of her stomach, like a pebble being thrown into a pool. The ripples created memories:

"_Do you understand?"_

"_Yes. I've had my own promises to keep."_

_The way that his fingers enclosed around hers, hiding them away from corruption and the danger in the world. Her hand relaxed in his as her feet walked amongst the clouds. She closed her eyes..._

...And when she opened them again, she saw Tarzan kiss Jane gently on the cheek before she would head back to bed.

Olivia swallowed back the incoherent noise that wanted to escape from her throat. How could this be happening to her? She had only known him for a while, but...this hurt so _much_...

"I'm, err..." she started, wanting to break the atmosphere of the moment before she found herself distressed. "I'm...going to get some fresh air."

And she left.

Jane stared back at Tarzan, confusion written all over her pretty face. "Do you suppose she's all right?" she asked him worriedly.

"I don't know," muttered Tarzan, embracing his wife once more before departure. "I'll go and find out."

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Olivia stared out at the lush, emerald and olive surroundings of the treehouse. She smiled weakly as she gazed around. This place was like a sanctuary to her at present. It protected her from her hellish life back in England – back with..._him. _

But yet...yet it seemed almost like a prison. She hadn't been able to get down and investigate the floor. Half of this was because she was afraid of becoming lost or hurt. Somewhere, deep inside her, she wanted to be part of this jungle; just as much as Tarzan or Jane had become.

However, half of this was fear of being found by her father again, who would march her back to the camp and give her the worst punishment she had ever received in her life. He would take her back to England...

And she would never see Tarzan again.

Olivia fought back salty tears. No! She couldn't! She didn't want to lose him. Although their meeting had been confusing, she wasn't going to be dragged back to society like a small child, away from the man that she loved!

_Love? _Olivia thought, stopping herself in surprise. _Do I...**love **him? I mean, **truly **love him? I've only known him for a few days. Is that enough time to find love? Why am I drawn to him so?_

So many questions rippled in her mind, and yet she could answer none of them. Why was this so unfair? She wanted to stay in a place that she could be happy, but her heart was suffering more pain than she could have ever imagined.

She stared longingly at the creepers that laced through the branches of the trees and hung down eerily. _If only I could swing on a vine, like Tarzan, _she told herself bitterly. _Then perhaps he might appreciate me more. He might see me as more than a little girl who is playing hide-and-seek with her father. _

Sucking in a deep breath, she carefully got to her feet, her knees shaking from excitement and terror. She grasped onto the rails of the treehouse balcony that jutted out, just far enough to reach a few vines that hung down. She reckoned that she would be able to hold one if she stretched far enough.

_I can do this..._

Clenching her teeth, she placed all of her pressure onto her hand that was being used to hold her balance. The other hand swiped air as she attempted to reach for a liana.

"Oh, come on, you," she grunted at the creeper, small waves of terror vibrating through her body. She felt her hand beginning to slip.

"Ah!" she gasped out, as her fingers finally grabbed onto the vine and she wrapped it around her wrist triumphantly. "Got it! Aha!"

It was then that she heard a voice from behind her. The tone was filled with horror and surprise: "Olivia!"

The girl jumped in shock at the sound of the unexpected shout, and she felt her palm slip from the wooden rail that was keeping her upright. A small, astonished cry escaped from her mouth as she felt her body plummeting to the earth below.

"_HHHEEELLLLPPP!" _she screamed into the night, the rushing air managing to snatch away the last notes of her squeal before they could be used. She closed her eyes and waited for the impact of her body to hit the floor, bones to shatter and pain to endure. Instead, she felt something else.

He stomach rose back into place, and she felt herself moving along. Opening her green eyes in disbelief, she noticed that she was dangling from a moving liana, and it was taking her away with it on its journey. Her wrist was wrapped in its hold.

She was swinging! Awkwardly, but she _was_!

"_LOOK AT ME!_" she yelled in delight, finally getting a firm grip onto the vine with her other hand and staring down at the floor below with an elated grin. "_TARZAN! LOOK! I'M SWINGING – THIS IS **FANTASTIC**!_"

Before that she could say anything else, she found that Tarzan was swinging beside her, smiling at her enthusiastic face and shaking his head a little. "You could have been hurt," he smirked.

"But I _didn't_ get hurt!" Olivia sang, holding one leg out into the air and letting it catch the breeze as she moved along. "Instead I'm flying! I'm free, Tarzan! _FREE!_" Her cries echoed into the canopies, like an angel that had just been released from capture.

Tarzan smiled. She was right. She _was _free. And from the looks of things, she was never going to forget this night. The night that she first experienced freedom.

He didn't try to stop her vine from moving just yet. He wanted her to remember this moment for as long as she could. And the only way to do that was enjoy it.

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"You should be more careful," he told her sternly afterwards as they made their way back into the treehouse. "You could have been hurt."

Olivia chuckled. "Why do you keep saying that?"

She wasn't used to others worrying and thinking of her safety. She only remembered the punishment and anger afterwards. She could never remember a time that someone had been concerned of her becoming hurt...or worse. They were only cross because she had done something she was not supposed to have done.

"I'm sorry," she apologised to his concerned eyes. "I'm just...not acquainted with the fact that others would be thinking of my well-being in such a way."

Tarzan's caring smile returned on his handsome face. He shook his head. "It's all right," he replied warmly, accepting the apology. "But why didn't you ask me if you wanted to swing on vines?"

Olivia shrugged pathetically. "I...I just..."

Tarzan stared at her.

"I just wanted to do something right," she admitted stupidly. "You and Jane...you both seem to be so...so _connected _to the jungle, Tarzan, and – I just wanted to be the same way! _I _want to swing like that, and walk among the trees and flowers, and talk..." she trailed off.

Tarzan sighed.

"Anyway," she finished, feeling herself blush a little at the cheekbones. "I'd best get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning...Tarzan."

And with that, she did something that she counted herself as extremely brave. She found herself walking over to the ape man and wrapping her arms around him in a sweet embrace. She placed her cheek against his warm chest and sighed happily.

"_Thank you..._" she whispered. Turning her lips towards his skin.

She kissed him.

"Oh!" she gasped out, seconds after she realised that her lips were pressed against the flesh of his chest. Tarzan didn't really seem to notice, but there was a look in his eyes that held a shred of anxiety. For some reason, this felt _wrong. _

"I'm sorry," she murmured, full of embarrassment. She covered her cheeks with her hands and grinned awkwardly at him. She had just made such a fool of herself! What must he think of her now?

"G-goodnight," she whispered, before he even had time to say anything. She dashed back to her room and stood inside it with the door closed. Her back pressed against the wall; she could still feel the warmth of his chest on her ruby lips, and could remember how his heart had been beating through the skin.

She sank onto her bed with a little sigh, and placed her fingers onto her lips, savouring the moment.

She would dream of him tonight.


End file.
